What care can a GP registrar provide?
GP registrars consult with patients and provide care across the breadth of general practice. Depending on their experience, training stage and individual scope of practice, this may include:
- assessing new and ongoing health concerns
- diagnosing and treating illness
- prescribing medicines
- requesting pathology and imaging
- making referrals to specialists and other health professionals
- supporting mental health and wellbeing
- providing preventive healthcare and health education
- managing chronic and complex health concerns
- providing sexual and reproductive healthcare
- developing treatment and follow-up plans with patients
Like all doctors, registrars work within their professional competence and seek further advice when appropriate.
How are GP registrars supervised?
Each GP registrar at Mayfield Medical Connection has an accredited GP Supervisor who is responsible for supporting their training and clinical development.
Registrars conduct their own patient consultations. They also have access to experienced GPs for advice, discussion and assistance when needed. The type and level of supervision provided reflects the registrar’s stage of training, experience and assessed capability.
A registrar may speak with their supervisor during or after a consultation, review a clinical decision with them, or ask them to assist directly. Seeking advice is a normal and important part of specialist medical training and supports safe, thoughtful patient care.
Are GP registrars able to practise independently?
GP registrars are registered medical practitioners who can assess and treat patients within their approved level of supervision and scope of practice.
They are still completing the training and assessments required to gain specialist recognition as a general practitioner. This means they have access to more experienced GPs while providing care and continue to participate in formal education, feedback and assessment.
What are the benefits of seeing a GP registrar?
Registrars bring recent hospital and medical experience into general practice and are actively engaged in ongoing education.
They may have longer appointment availability and often bring particular experience or interests from earlier medical roles. They also work closely with experienced GPs, giving them access to additional clinical perspectives when appropriate.
Patients receive care from a qualified doctor who is supported within an accredited general practice training environment. Registrars in the later and final stages of training may also have the opportunity to build longer-term relationships with patients. At Mayfield Medical Connection, some choose to remain with the practice as specialist GPs after completing their training and gaining Fellowship.
Why do GP registrars change practices?
General practice training includes experience in different practices and communities. Registrars therefore usually work at a training practice for a defined period before moving to another placement or completing their training.
At Mayfield Medical Connection, registrar placements commonly last between six and twelve months.
Registrars in the later stages of training do not always move on when their placement ends. Some choose to remain at Mayfield Medical Connection after completing their training and gaining Fellowship as specialist GPs. This can allow patients to continue seeing the same doctor beyond the registrar’s formal training placement.
Where a registrar does leave MMC, patients can continue their care with another doctor consulting from the practice. Relevant clinical information remains recorded in the patient’s medical record to support continuity of care.
Our commitment to GP training
Mayfield Medical Connection is committed to contributing to the future general practice workforce while providing high-quality healthcare to our local community.
Our registrars are supported through structured supervision, regular teaching, feedback and access to experienced doctors. We encourage a whole-of-practice approach in which our clinical and administrative teams help registrars develop the knowledge, confidence and practical skills required for contemporary general practice.
We are proud that registrars may choose to continue consulting from Mayfield Medical Connection after completing their specialist training. Their decision to remain supports continuity of care for patients and strengthens the experienced general practice workforce available to our community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. A GP registrar has completed a medical degree and is registered to practise medicine. They are undertaking further specialist training in general practice.
No. Medical students are still completing their university medical degree. GP registrars have graduated and have already worked as doctors.
Yes. GP registrars can prescribe medications within their scope of practice and level of supervision.
Yes. They can request appropriate investigations and refer patients to specialists and other healthcare professionals.
They may consult their supervisor or another experienced GP when it would support your care. This is a routine and valuable part of specialist training.
Yes. Registrars can help manage new, ongoing, chronic and complex concerns. Some later-stage registrars remain with MMC after gaining Fellowship, allowing their relationships with patients to continue. Where a registrar leaves the practice, they will support an appropriate transition of care.
Registrar placements are generally time-limited because training requires experience in different practices. However, later and final-term registrars sometimes choose to remain at Mayfield Medical Connection as specialist GPs after completing their training and gaining Fellowship.
Many registrars bring experience and interests developed through previous medical roles. You can read each registrar’s profile to learn more about their approach, experience and areas of interest.